Zoltan... Hound of Dracula

 Year of Release:  1977

Director:  Albert Band

Screenplay:  Frank Ray Perilli

Starring:  José Ferrer, Michael Pataki, Arlene Martel, Reggie Nalder, Jan Shutan

Running Time:  90 minutes

Genre:  Horror

The Romanian army accidentally blast open the sealed tomb of the Dracula family, inadvertently reanimating Count Dracula's pet Doberman Pinscher, Zoltan, and the Count's half-human servant Smit (Nalder).  Smit and Zoltan immediately set out to find Dracula's last remaining descendent, Michael Drake (Pataki), a psychiatrist who lives with his family in California.  

When you start dealing with Dracula's pets, it's fair to say that probably the last drop has been wrung from everyone's favourite bloodsucker.  This low-budget production has become something of a cult film and it is daft and original enough to provide some campy fun.  There is some fun to be had as Zoltan chomps his way through various campers and recruits a succession of furry fiends (including an adorable little vampire puppy).  José Ferrer is good value as the fearless vampire hunter determined to stop the malevolent mutt, Michael Pataki spends most of the film looking confused as Zoltan's target, and the distinctive Reggie Nalder is effective as Dracula's henchman/dog handler, even if he doesn't really have anything to do except look menacing.  The problem is that Zoltan himself just isn't scary, and it feels as if the film was running short and so they padded it out with endless shots of dogs standing around with glowing eyes and growling.  This is the kind of film that is best viewed after a few drinks, with a pizza and a few friends late at night.  If you are in the right frame of mind you can have fun with it, but it's fair to say that you're life won't be much the poorer without Zoltan... Hound of Dracula.

Who's a good boy?  Zoltan... Hound of Dracula